Drip Drop
by Morning Chrysanthemum
Summary: Haru loves everything to do with the water. It's what makes him start wandering in the rain in nothing but his swimming trunks. But that isn't the only thing he loves. MakoHaru.


**Guys, I have a problem. I really really really love MakoHaru and can't seem to stop writing it. Help.**

**I hope I didn't make anyone out of character? Thank you for reading.**

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Haruka Nanase loves the rain.

It's not really surprising, considering his love for all things involving and being water, but he doesn't pay much mind to it, not while he's standing under the iron-gray clouds with clad only in his swimming trunks. By his logic, if he tries hard enough, he can find a puddle large enough and swim in it. Never mind the fact that he'd probably catch pneumonia or worse if he did.

Excitement bubbles up within him as he hears the first rumble of thunder, though his ever-stoic face does nothing to show it. The rain drops patter down.

Drip drop, drip drop, drip drop…The rain seems to whisper something to him. Maybe it is a song. Maybe it is a story. A secret. Much like he does when interacting with a certain friend, he listens and does not answer, his mind on something else.

Water is a wonderful thing, he muses. It provides life, sustenance and recreation. It can cleanse the dirtied. It can heal the damned. And it can flood anything it chooses to.

Powerful, flowing strength is its trademark. In that sense, it's a bit like Haruka when he swam. He never strives to surpass the water, all he wants is to move with it, and that in itself is enough for him to improve his skills and leave the rest in the dust (or bubbles). Not that he's really much for competition anyway.

_All I want to do is feel the water. _

And all through that moment, he does. His mind does not feel the cold that his body will soon begin complaining about. All it registers is the sensation of water and the adrenaline it brings about. He shakes his head in what seems to be a futile attempt to rid himself of the clinging droplets, but it's really only to feel the more of the water running on his scalp with each twist of the head.

Without even realizing it, he wanders about, bare feet splashing in the countless puddles. It's a wonder how he doesn't even trip. A small part of his mind that was not overwhelmed by the water scolded him, saying he should get back home soon and warm up before he catches a cold.

He ignores that part for the time being, thought he can't ignore how his steps are getting smaller and slower. He sneezes. Perhaps it would be better to go inside. He could take a warm bath and still have a chance to envelop himself in water.

But his home seems too far away after all the wandering he did and suddenly his surroundings seem to be getting even darker as the frequency and speed of the raindrops increase.

"...-chan?"

He hears another whisper, but that small part of his brain informs him it's not from the rain, so he ignores it.

The whispers gets louder, with soft splashes indicating footsteps accompanying it. "Haru-chan?"

The rain hasn't stopped (in fact, it becomes even stronger), but at this newcomer's arrival, Haruka feels it's as if the sun emerged from behind the clouds keeping it prisoner.

"Didn't I tell you to drop the –chan?" He's not even sure how the words even came out audibly, but his friend seems to hear them perfectly. Haruka's even sure this person could hear his innermost thoughts just as well.

Makoto Tachibana smiles at Haruka from under his umbrella. "I'm glad I decided to take a walk around to check how you were doing. Swimsuit during the rain though, that's a new one," he replies, ignoring the question. He always does.

Haruka would have retorted, but the words are drowned by a fit of coughing.

"Haru!" Makoto's suddenly lost the sunny quality in both his face and voice as he quickly made his way to Haruka. He holds the umbrella over the drenched male and shifts to allow Haruka to wrap his arm around Makoto's shoulder so that Haruka's practically hanging onto him.

"What's…the point of…even having an umbrella…if you have me like this? You'll get a cold," Haruka mumbles.

Makoto clicks his tongue in response. "I'd rather not hear that from you of all people right now. Now, can you move?"

Haruka can, somehow. The journey's a blur, but the two find themselves at Makoto's house.

"My parents and my siblings are staying at the grocery store until the rain stops," Makoto explains as he quickly changes his own clothes and all but pushes Haruka into the bathroom. Haruka gives a slight jerk of the head that Makoto has come to learn to mean his nod.

"I'll leave some clothes out for you, okay? Then again, they might be too big…" The last part is mostly said to himself, but Haruka still hears.

"I'm fine with whatever," he says.

Makoto laughs his quiet laugh. "I'm sure, as long as you can wear your swim trunks underneath them." His face suddenly turns serious. "Not this time, though. You're going to have to let those dry off before you can wear them again. And don't soak in there too long, either.\"

He sends a pointed look at Haruka before leaving the room. Haruka lets out a quiet sigh before complying. As stubborn as he is, as much as he doesn't like to part from his trunks, that small part of his brain agrees with Makoto, and right now he has to do the same.

He sinks his body in the bath. The water's almost burning to his sodden skin, but he eventually gets used to it. He'll always trust water.

The faucet speaks the same language as the rain still pounding outside.

Drip drop, drip drop, drip drop…

After a good soaking, Haruka rises from the bathtub. It's a different feeling when Makoto isn't there to coax him out, and he's doesn't really like that feeling.

He dries off his body before noticing the pajamas left for him. When did Makoto even come inside? He shrugs before putting them on. As expected, they were loose, and he'd had to roll up the sleeves and pant legs to sufficiently move around, but they were dry and warm, and that was what matter.

Makoto returns to the bathroom, carrying a tray with containers of different liquids. Some of them are steaming.

"I see you're done," he remarks, smiling once more. "Off to bed you go."

Haruka wants to protest that he's fine just like this, but he can't seem to argue against that smile right now. He obeys and heads over to Makoto's room, climbing into the bed and tucking himself in.

"Open wide." When he does so, Makoto sticks a thermometer in his mouth. The taller boy then removes it and looks at the readings before letting out a low whistle. "Well, miraculously, you don't need to go to the hospital judging from your temperature, but I'm not letting you leave this room until you're back to normal health."

"And with that…" he trails off as he gestures for Haruka to sit up so he can lean the pillows against the headboard, "we can start. Say 'ahh'."

Haruka follows the direction, but without making a sound. Makoto presses a glass against his lips and gently pushes forward so Haruka doesn't choke. The dark-haired one's eyes widened at the taste of water, though it was sweet-and-sour water.

"Lemon and honey." Makoto answers a question he knws Haruka would have asked before moving the glass away. Haruka gratefully swallows, though his throat doesn't share the gratitude and instead tries to resist the movement. He coughs as a result.

Makoto tsks. He has a bowl of steaming brown liquid in his hands, and Haruka doesn't even have to ask what it is. He opens his mouth again as Makoto takes a spoonful of the stuff, blows on it for a few time, and then feeds it to him. Haruka thinks he could probably do a better job of cooking but he is grateful nonetheless.

This process is not continued for long, so the bowl is not empty when Makoto stops, but he places it on the tray on the bedside table.

"You should rest," he advises, moving the pillows back down and tucking Haruka back in. "You probably exhausted yourself playing in the rain."

"Don't call it playing," Haruka almost snaps.

Makoto blinks, then smiles. "No, I'm sorry. It's important to you, isn't it?"

No answer. Makoto's quiet laugh echoes in the room.

"If that's the case then, it'll be important to me, too." Before Haruka knows it, Makoto leans in and gently presses his lips against Haruka's.

It doesn't last for very long, but it seems to warm Haruka up to the very core, even more so than the warm bath he soaked in or the blankets surrounding him now.

"…Don't blame me if you catch my cold," was Haruka's only response.

Makoto laughs. "I'd never blame you for anything, Haru."

He gets up from the bed and whispers "sweet dreams" before taking the tray and leaving the room to put it back.

Haruka listens to the rain outside, the pitter-pattering eventually lulling him to sleep.

Makoto told him to have sweet dreams. It seems he did then. He dreams that Makoto had joined him in the bed soon enough and wrapped strong arms around him.

There's faint chatter all around and they sound suspiciously like Makoto's family. The voices express surprise at Haruka's company, but carry no anger.

"The rain's finally stopped," he hears from far away in the dream.

And usually that would disappoint Haruka, because he loves the rain. He loves water.

But he turns around and puts his lips to Makoto's for another short moment, and there's no disappointment.

Because he has another being he loves.


End file.
